Re: Learning to Overblow

["Tim Moyer - Working Man's Harps" <wmharps@xxxxxxxxx>]

At 08:52 AM 3/20/04 -0600, Chris Michalek wrote:
>I respectfully disagree with you. Overblowing is clearly useful to
>those that play any style of music and should not nessitate a change
>in approach. Afterall, each one of the overblow/draw notes are
>available somewhere else on the harp.  

I think I was misunderstood here.  I completely agree with Chris that
overblowing is useful in any genre of music.  I didn't mean to indicate
that it only fits with jazz, or such.  

What I was trying (not very well, apparently) to say was that the
*technique* of overblowing -- the embouchure and breath pressures, etc.,
required to make the notes -- requires a different approach to the way
*every* note is played, not just the overblown ones.  When I pull out one
of my harps that's properly adjusted for overblows I find that many people
cannot play it because they choke it too easily.  Those people are blowing
and drawing with mouth pressure to some degree, even though they might have
a large amount of control of that.  I had this same problem when I tried to
play my first harps from Richard Sleigh, and I actually (GASP!) went in and
readjusted the action on them so I could play them without changing my
style.  When I finally started overblowing with some proficiency I realized
that my entire approach to making sounds with a harmonica had changed.
Maybe this isn't a universal experience, but it was profound with me.  

The best thing about learning to overblow, for me, was that it lifted my
inspiration for playing the harp to a new level, it reignited my passion,
and it cemented a stylistic approach to playing that had been adrift for
several years.  It's funny what a few "extra" notes can do.

Respectfully,

- -tim



Tim Moyer
wmharps@xxxxxxxxx